I’m honestly not a huge bread person, but I bake a loaf of whole wheat sourdough for my husband most weeks, and I inevitably end up with extra starter from my sourdough feedings. I think pancakes are the traditional use, and they are indeed great! I tend to make waffles or crepes in bulk batches to freeze. Great for those mornings when my husband is in a rush and needs his hearty morning fix.

Sometimes we go crazy and dab them with kimchi or crème fraîche or homemade maple rye vinegar or all three for a feast of ferments!

I like to let my starter accumulate in the fridge for a while before making a big batch, but beware, this aging process makes for a seriously sour waffle. This recipe doubles beautifully and freezes like what Eggo dreams it could someday be. It’s suitable for savory or sweet toppings, too!

These freeze incredibly well. Just let them cool, layer them with wax paper and put them in a sealed ziploc bag. Beats any frozen waffle I’ve ever bought!

Recipe (Adapted from the Cardamom Sour-Cream Waffles in Gourmet, February 2008):

1 cup whole wheat flour

1.5t baking powder

3/4t baking soda

2t ground cardamom (if fresh ground, use 1.5t)

1/2t salt

1T sugar (optional)

1 cup extra starter

1T vanilla extract

3/4 cup milk (preferably whole)

3/4 cup kefir or 1 cup crème fraîche or kefir sour cream

3 eggs, lightly whisked

3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Combine first 6 (dry) ingredients.

Combine the remaining (wet) ingredients in separate bowl

Add dry ingredients to wet, being careful not to over mix

Batter should be pretty thick. If it’s so thick that it’s more like dough, add a tablespoon or two more milk.

Waffle it, according to your waffle maker instructions!

If eating right away, top with delicious things. If freezing, let them cool, then separate waffles with wax or parchment paper and freeze in ziplocs. A quick trip to the toaster oven does these guys good!

They don’t need to be perfect. It’s the inconsistencies that make both life and fermentation so interesting.